Eddy County District Court Overview
Eddy County District Court sits in New Mexico's Fifth Judicial District, which also covers Chaves and Lea counties. District Courts are New Mexico's general-jurisdiction trial courts and hold jury trials. The research identifies Eddy County District Court as the local District Court contact point at 102 N. Canal St. in Carlsbad, with the records, pro se, and non-e-filed filings email cardfax-grp@nmcourts.gov.
District Court jurisdiction includes tort, contract, real property rights, estates, domestic relations, mental health, administrative and lower-court appeals, miscellaneous civil cases, defined misdemeanor contexts, exclusive criminal appeals, and exclusive juvenile jurisdiction. For public records users, the key distinction is that District Court is not the same as Magistrate Court, Municipal Court, County Probate Court, or the Eddy County Clerk's recorded-document office.
Eddy County District Court and Lower Courts
The Fifth Judicial District contact page lists one Eddy County District Court location and two Eddy County Magistrate Court locations. The research also identifies Eddy County Probate Court and municipal courts in Artesia and Loving, with Carlsbad Municipal Court separately listed for city cases. Use the court that matches the case origin, not only the county name.
| Court | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy County District Court | General-jurisdiction District Court | 102 N. Canal St., Carlsbad, NM 88220 | 575-885-4740 |
| Artesia Magistrate Court | Limited-jurisdiction Magistrate Court | 109 N. 15th St., Artesia, NM 88210 | 575-746-2481 |
| Carlsbad Magistrate Court | Limited-jurisdiction Magistrate Court | 1949 Canal St., Carlsbad, NM 88220 | 575-885-3218 |
| Eddy County Probate Court | Informal county probate | 325 S. Main Street, Carlsbad, NM 88220 | 575-885-4008 |
| Artesia Municipal Court | Municipal ordinance and traffic | 511 W. Texas Avenue / 3300 W. Main Suite A, Artesia, NM 88210 | 575-746-2122 / 575-746-9401 |
| Loving Municipal Court | Municipal ordinance and traffic | 415 W. Cedar, Loving, NM 88256 | 575-745-3511 ext. 1005 |
Eddy County District Court Sources
The Fifth Judicial District location page is the official source for Eddy County District Court, Artesia Magistrate Court, and Carlsbad Magistrate Court contact blocks.
Use that source before traveling because it gives hours, phone numbers, emails, and the distinction between District and Magistrate counters.
The Fifth Judicial District also publishes an Eddy County District Court docket page.
The docket page is a hearing schedule, not a full historical case-file database.
District Court vs Magistrate Court vs Municipal Court
Eddy County record searches often fail when the wrong level of court is searched. District Court is the general trial court. Magistrate Court handles many lower-level criminal, traffic, landlord-tenant, and small civil matters. Municipal Court handles city or village ordinance matters and traffic inside municipal limits.
| Issue | District Court | Magistrate Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil limit | No $10,000 lower-court cap stated in research | Tort, contract, real property, and landlord-tenant matters from $0 to $10,000 | Municipal ordinance jurisdiction, not general civil trial jurisdiction |
| Criminal jurisdiction | Felonies, criminal appeals, defined misdemeanor contexts | Misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, felony preliminary hearings | Petty misdemeanors, municipal DWI/DUI, ordinance violations |
| Traffic | Serious or appealed traffic-related matters | County, state, and many sheriff/state police traffic cases | City or village traffic cases inside municipal limits |
| Family cases | Domestic relations and divorce | No domestic relations jurisdiction captured | No domestic relations jurisdiction captured |
| Jury trials | Yes | Yes | No jury trials |
How Cases Move Through Eddy County Court
Case movement depends on the case type. A felony arrest may have Magistrate Court preliminary activity before a District Court prosecution. A divorce begins in District Court because domestic relations jurisdiction is there. An informal estate may start and stay in County Probate Court unless a dispute pushes the case into District Court. A city traffic ticket may never be a District Court case.
Criminal flow: Arrest or citation › Magistrate or Municipal first appearance › complaint, information, or indictment › District Court arraignment for felony matters › pretrial hearings › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil and family flow: Petition or complaint filed › service and answer › motions and hearings › discovery or settlement work › trial or final hearing › order, decree, or judgment › appeal if filed.
Probate flow: Informal estate packet or application › county Probate Court appointment or probate action › notices and administration › closing documents, or transfer to District Court if contested.
Eddy County District Court Judges
The Fifth Judicial District judges page identifies four District Court judges located in Eddy County. Judge division and phone details help users identify the right courtroom or proposed-order channel after a case is assigned. Proposed-order emails are not a substitute for filing or record requests, but they show the division structure.
| Judge | Division | Location | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| David E. Finger | Division I | Carlsbad | 575-885-4828 |
| Eileen P. Riordan | Division V | Carlsbad | 575-887-7101 |
| Lisa Riley | Division IX | Carlsbad | 575-628-3113 |
| AnneMarie Lewis | Division XII | Carlsbad | 575-236-2426 |
The Fifth Judicial District judges page is the source for judge assignments, divisions, phone numbers, and proposed-order contacts.
Judge listings help identify the division, but records and certified copies still route through the clerk or official access systems.
Find Eddy County District Court Dockets
District Court docket pages show hearing schedules for the current day plus six future days. The research notes that the docket page warns hearing details may contain omissions and that the court makes no warranty regarding the information. If a hearing cannot be found or more information is needed, contact the court directly.
The Magistrate Court docket pages are separate for Artesia and Carlsbad, which matters for misdemeanors, DWI/DUI, traffic, landlord-tenant cases, civil claims up to the Magistrate limit, and felony preliminary hearings.
The Fifth Judicial District publishes a dedicated Artesia Magistrate Court docket page.
Artesia docket records should be checked when the citation, complaint, or first appearance belongs to the Artesia Magistrate location.
The Fifth Judicial District also publishes a Carlsbad Magistrate Court docket page.
Carlsbad Magistrate dockets are the better source for short-range hearing schedules at that lower-court location.
Search Eddy County District Court Records
District Court case searches begin with New Mexico Case Lookup for public individual electronic court records. The search tabs include Name Search, Case Number Search, and DWI Search. A user can narrow by court type, court location, filing date, hearing date, and other fields when the information is known.
- Start with Case Lookup and accept the disclaimer.
- Use District Court as the court type when searching a District Court case.
- Use District 503 - Carlsbad when the case is known to be in Eddy County District Court.
- Use re:SearchNM when registered document access is needed and the user profile allows it.
- Use court IPRA or the District Court Clerk when public lookup does not provide the needed record.
For payment-related records, the Fifth Judicial District fee schedule lists filing, copy, certification, and payment information.
The fee source is useful for certified-copy estimates and for distinguishing District Court filing fees from County Clerk recording fees.
Visit Eddy County District Court
Eddy County District Court is at 102 N. Canal St. in Carlsbad. The mailing address is 102 N. Canal St., Suite 240, Carlsbad, NM 88220. The court is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with no financial transactions after 4:30 p.m. The courthouse is downtown near the County Clerk, Probate Court, Detention Center, District Attorney, and Public Defender offices, but those offices are not interchangeable.
Eddy County District Court
102 N. Canal St.
Carlsbad, NM 88220
Mailing: 102 N. Canal St., Ste. 240
575-885-4740
cardfax-grp@nmcourts.gov
Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Fifth Judicial District Attorney
102 N. Canal, Suite 200
Carlsbad, NM 88220
575-885-8822
District Attorney Dianna Luce